Carolyn's Nonprofit Blog

I watched a news report on American television a few years ago featuring university educators bemoaning the fact that their students were exhibiting “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD) in the classroom. Lecturers were admonishing students not to “text” during classes and not to use their cell phones so they can devote their full attention to the presentations of their professors. It was then surmised that our beloved mobile gadgets are the reason for the short attention spans exhibited by many students today.

While this blog article does not focus on “major gift fundraising” directly, I wanted to address the issue because it relates to a “case for support” I developed for a children’s program at the Dallas Zoological Society (2006 to 2007).

In brief, while we can argue technologies like laptop computers, iPads and tablets, mobile phones and the like contribute to increased distraction and short attention spans, the problem did not start with these devices. One can trace the issue back to children watching television programs, including such genuinely well-meaning broadcasts designed specifically for children like “Sesame Street,” an educational show that began in the 1960s.

Dr. Jane M. Healy wrote an insightful book about early childhood development and education, “Endangered Minds: Why Children Don’t Think and What We Can Do About It.” I discovered the book through a colleague working in the education division of the Dallas Zoo. I had asked her for written resources about children and nature, with a new children’s exhibition in mind. As it happens, while I was working at the Dallas Zoological Society (the nonprofit partner of the City-run Dallas Zoo), the Junior League of Dallas had also become aware of Dr. Healy’s work. They brought her to speak during a meeting I attended as a guest.

Drawing on neuropsychological research, Dr. Healy discussed how:

“… growing brains are physically shaped by experience; why television programs – even supposedly educational shows like Sesame Street – develop ‘habits of mind’ that place children at a disadvantage in school; why increasing numbers of children are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder; [and] how parents and teachers can make a critical difference by making children good learners from the day they are born.”

One of the takeaways from Dr. Healy was simply that one must seek balance in life. Don’t let television and new technologies serve as your children’s “babysitters.” Be sure your children – from an early age – have adequate “hands-on” learning experiences and interaction with others “real-time,” not solely through the medium of their technological gadgets.

Having said that, I wouldn’t suggest hampering your children’s advancement by encouraging them not to learn new technologies. To do so would reduce their chances of success in modern life! There are so many wonderful applications of new technologies and they outweigh the bad. We cannot avoid the fact that the trend of using new technologies across all sectors of society continues to grow, not to decline.

Returning to my experience at the Dallas Zoological Society, Dr. Healy’s findings about young children and how they “learn” by physically touching and experiencing the world around them (including in environments where there is “safe danger” like zoos), became the key argument of my case for support for a new and expanded children’s zoo.

Many inner city youth have little experience with wildlife and are often “parked” in front of television sets (and other gadgets), at a key time in their mental development. Balancing gadgets with quality time in the real world is essential to building well-balanced adults, ones that will appreciate and understand nature and wildlife, and who will protect them as adults. Having an affordable, inner city zoo and/or natural area available to families with young children is so important. In the case of the Dallas Zoo, it is physically situated in a once-neglected area of South Dallas, and the Zoo’s renovation also helped support community revitalization. On any given day, the Dallas Zoo is filled with mothers pushing strollers across the grounds. An enhanced children’s zoo was just what the City of Dallas needed back then, and still today.

My case for support provided a winning argument for the Dallas Zoological Society. Several funders were inspired to support the project at substantial levels. From the perspective of a development professional, you can see how a partnership with your organization’s program staff, a trusted nationally recognized child psychologist, and an organization like the Junior League (which included many mothers of young children), can lead to fundraising success.

Last but not least, the topic of writing compelling case statements is not often discussed nor taught by nonprofit support organizations. While we do hear a lot about “storytelling” when it comes to social media, more lengthy presentations designed to convince donors to invest in a significant fashion – ones that require developing partnerships and conducting detailed research worthy of an advanced university degree – deserve greater appreciation and discussion. It matters.

More Information about Children, Tech and Nature

• Children and Nature Network Research Library
• Natalie Bennett for Ecologist, “Children Must Have a Right to Nature” (March 6, 2018).
• Eames Yates for Business Insider, “This Silicon Valley school shuns technology — yet most of the students are children of tech execs” (March 23, 2017).
• The Center for Parenting Education (n.d.), “Children and Nature – A Natural Fit.” “Research is starting to show that spending time in nature is not only a source of relaxation and a choice for leisure time but is also beneficial to our children’s growth and health in many ways.” The author of this article recommends less screen time for children, especially very young children, and more time connecting directly with the world around them. “Most of our children (us too) can give up some screen time and still have plenty of screen time left over.”
• Family Online Safety Institute, “New Research Reveals Overwhelming Majority of Parents Believe Technology Has Positive Effect On Their Children’s Lives” (November 17, 2015).
• James Elmsmoor for Forbes, “Environmental Education Will Shape a New Generation of Decision-makers” (August 25, 2019).
• Nick Morrison for Forbes, “Social Media Is Not To Blame For Children’s Poor Mental Health” (October 10, 2019).
• Eileen Abbott for The Hill, “At a Time of Environmental Crisis, How Can We Make Sure the Next Generation Cares About the Environment?” (January 1, 2020).
• Christine Latreille for Active for Life, “Can technology help kids connect with nature?” (March 25, 2022).
• Nick Bilton for The New York Times, “Steve Jobs was a Low-tech Parent” (September 10, 2014). “Children under 10 seem to be most susceptible to becoming addicted, so these [high tech] parents draw the line at not allowing any gadgets during the week. On weekends, there are limits of 30 minutes to two hours on iPad and smartphone use. And 10- to 14-year-olds are allowed to use computers on school nights, but only for homework.”
• Jim Robbins for Yale Environment 360, “Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health” (January 9, 2020).
• Chris Weller writes for World Economic Forum, “Why Gates and Jobs Shielded Their Kids From Tech” (October 27, 2017).